SMS Marketing Guide: When to Use It and How to Do It / ITech content

Contents:

• What is SMS used for: basic strategies
• How to send bulk SMS: technical solutions
• How to analyze the effectiveness of SMS mailings
• How to write texts for SMS mailings and what else you need to know about them
• What is important to know to work with SMS mailings legally
• Let's summarize

SMS messages have a higher open rate than email. SHIFT research shows that SMS messages are opened immediately four out of five times. Meanwhile, according to Mindbox, email open rates range from only 9% to 23%, depending on the industry. This underscores the effectiveness of SMS as a communication channel for business and marketing.

SMS messages are an effective tool for conveying important information thanks to their high open rate. Therefore, many marketers choose a strategy that combines SMS and email marketing. This material presents a starting guide that summarizes key recommendations for a successful SMS campaign launch. Learn how to effectively use SMS to achieve your marketing goals.

• What is SMS used for: basic strategies
• How to send bulk SMS: technical solutions
• How to analyze effectiveness
• What should newsletter texts be and what else should be taken into account
• What is important to know to avoid becoming a spammer

What is SMS used for: basic strategies

SMS newsletters are an effective channel for quick communication that can be used both separately and in combination with instant messengers and email. In this section, we will consider five key marketing tasks for which SMS newsletters are most often used. These tasks include increasing sales, collecting customer feedback, customer service, informing about news and promotions, and creating personalized offers. Effective use of SMS marketing can increase audience engagement and strengthen customer relationships.

To successfully promote sales, it's important to send messages that generate interest and encourage targeted actions. Effective messages can include information about new collections, promotions, and sales. These messages should be engaging and informative to attract potential customers' attention and encourage them to purchase.

SMS marketing demonstrates a high return on investment (ROI) compared to other marketing channels. For example, in the case of the P1sms service, a jewelry store sent 600 sale messages to its customers, resulting in a 2.5% conversion rate. Revenue amounted to 30,000 rubles with an expenditure of 6,000. According to Mobivity, about half of US residents have made a purchase after receiving a sales SMS. This highlights the effectiveness of SMS marketing as a tool for increasing sales and customer engagement.

Customer feedback is key to understanding business needs and increasing loyalty and repeat sales. One of the most effective methods of collecting feedback is the use of SMS surveys, in which customers are asked to rate services, products, or customer service on a scale of 1 to 10. The NPS (Net Promoter Score) index, which helps measure customer loyalty, can also be used. You can learn more about how to organize feedback collection by following the link.

Service messages play a key role in informing customers about the status of their orders, including order placement, parcel arrival at the pickup point, and verification. These messages contain important technical information necessary for successful order fulfillment. Artem Gabdrakhimov, CEO of 2meetup, uses SMS to remind users of scheduled meetings, emphasizing that this communication channel is the most effective. Emails aren't always read, many users ignore calls from unknown numbers, and finding a universal messenger that works for everyone is difficult. Using SMS ensures that information is delivered promptly and is noticed by customers. A study by SimpleTexting shows that 50% of respondents are willing to subscribe to SMS messaging to receive service messages. SMS messaging not only increases customer loyalty but also contributes to profit growth. For example, a RetailCRM case study demonstrates that implementing service messages increased the redemption rate in an online store by 10-15%. This confirms the importance of SMS mailings as a tool for increasing business efficiency and strengthening ties with clients.

We have allocated a separate category for informational SMS. These messages are not intended for direct sales or service provision, but they play an important role in informing customers about events that may impact their purchases. For example, through such messages, we inform about changes in delivery costs, store relocations, or system failures that may lead to delays in order processing. Informational SMS help maintain transparency and trust between the company and the customer, ensuring timely information about important changes.

SMS mailings, which are actively used alongside email newsletters, are an important tool for creating relevant offers. These messages inform customers about price reductions on items in their cart, offer personalized product selections, and offer promotional codes based on previous user actions. This allows for increased customer engagement and increased sales by effectively utilizing a personalized approach in marketing strategies.

Personalization is a key factor in increasing conversions and revenue growth. McKinsey research shows that 70% of customers prefer to engage with brands that take their individual preferences into account. Given this, companies should strive to create personalized experiences for their consumers, which in turn will help strengthen customer loyalty and increase revenue.

Petr Nikitin, Product Owner of the Mindbox marketing automation platform, shares information about "cascade messaging" - a multi-channel communication strategy with clients. This mechanism allows for effective engagement with the audience across various channels, providing a consistent and targeted message. Cascade messaging helps create a more personalized approach, increases engagement, and improves conversion. By using multiple platforms, such as email, SMS, and instant messaging, companies can reach their clients at a convenient time and place, significantly increasing the chances of successful interaction.

• The next message is sent only if the client could not be contacted at the previous stages.
• Free email, mobile, and/or web push notifications are sent first, and only then paid messages on Viber and/or SMS.
• The mailing stops as soon as at least one message has moved to the "Delivered" status or the client has performed the target action.

Companies can effectively use SMS messaging for a variety of purposes. Anna Vasyutina, SEO Estas.Store's marketing manager, recommends using this tool for selling information products, goods, and services. Mailings can be sent to both existing clients and potential buyers. However, caution should be exercised when sending messages to non-client audiences, as there is a risk of legal action by the recipient. Effective use of SMS messaging can significantly increase engagement and boost sales.

Maria Shtykova, Marketing Director of the architectural branding company DeVsion and the real estate forum "Dvizhenie," notes that mailings about promotions, services, and new products are not always effective. In the B2B segment and when selling high-end products, it is advisable to use only technical mailings containing information relevant to event participants and clients. For example, before a forum, we send reminders about weather conditions, such as heavy rain in the mountains. This underscores our commitment to our audience and increases trust in the company.

How to Send Bulk SMS: Technical Solutions

There are two main approaches: working directly with operators or using bulk messaging services. Both strategies have their advantages and can be chosen depending on business goals and audience specifics. Direct interaction with operators allows for more precise campaign customization and avoids service fees, while using bulk messaging platforms simplifies the management process and results analysis. The choice between these options depends on your needs and resources.

Mobile operators offer services for uploading a database of numbers for sending messages on behalf of a client, for example, your store. However, it is worth noting that creating automatic message chains and segmenting the subscriber base by interests, number of purchases, and other criteria are not available. The cost of sending a single SMS message starts at 1.9 rubles, making this service affordable for businesses. Telecom operators offer bulk SMS services based on their own databases. This approach is not a standard SMS bulk SMS, but rather targeted advertising. You don't see subscriber numbers, but you can send messages to users who are currently in Moscow or have been roaming in the past two weeks. Targeted advertising allows you to more effectively reach your audience and increase the likelihood of a response to your offers. Mikhail Ivanov, Director of the ivanovpro marketing agency, shared his experience with targeted SMS bulk SMS. This method allows you to effectively reach an audience within a specific geographic area. To send a bulk SMS, you need to specify a specific point on the map and specify the radius within which users will receive the SMS. All contacts within the specified area receive messages instantly, significantly increasing the likelihood of attracting customers and increasing engagement. Targeted SMS messaging is a powerful tool for local marketing, allowing companies to more precisely tailor their advertising campaigns and achieve maximum impact.

The effectiveness of these messages remains low. We conducted testing in various locations and coverage areas. Customers receiving such messages are reluctant to immediately change their habits, even if the offer offers significant benefits. Mikhail Ivanov emphasizes the need to reconsider customer communication approaches to increase engagement and response to promotions.

With messaging services, you upload your phone number database and send messages on your behalf. These platforms offer a variety of features, including audience segmentation and setting up automated sequences for sending service-related and relevant messages. These features are typically available in services that also handle email messaging, such as Sendsay or SendPulse. However, there are also specialized platforms designed exclusively for SMS messaging, such as Prostor SMS, SMS Center, and SMS Aero. These services allow you to optimize communication with clients, increasing the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.

How to analyze the effectiveness of SMS mailings

SMS operators and services often offer only a basic level of analysis. According to Petr Nikitin, Product Owner of the Mindbox marketing automation platform, SMS operators only provide data on the number of messages sent. This information allows you to calculate the overall conversion within a given attribution window, which is becoming an important tool for evaluating the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. However, for a more in-depth analysis and optimization of marketing strategies, it is necessary to use additional metrics and tools that will help better understand user behavior and improve the effectiveness of mailings.

When sending an SMS mailing about a two-day promotion, it is important to consider the attribution window, which in this case corresponds to the specified period. Using only the SMS channel in this situation is preferable, since adding other communication channels can complicate the attribution process, making it difficult to analyze the effectiveness of the campaign. Petr Nikitin emphasizes the importance of clarity in channel selection to achieve maximum effectiveness in marketing campaigns.

Some services provide detailed analytics when using shortened links. Stream Telecom's shortener allows you to collect aggregated data on the user's location, operating system, browser, and other important parameters. This allows you to more effectively evaluate your audience and tailor content to their interests. Using shortened links not only simplifies interactions but also provides valuable information for analyzing and improving marketing strategies.

Services for generating unique promo codes are becoming increasingly popular. With SMSint, you can easily create and send SMS coupons to all your customers or to a specific audience segment. After sending, you gain access to analytics, allowing you to track the effectiveness of your campaign: you'll see how many coupons were sent and how many were redeemed. This will help you optimize your marketing strategies and increase customer engagement.

Automation platforms offer a wide range of capabilities. Mindbox implements a unique click detection feature, allowing you to track which customer clicked on the link in each email and associate orders with this action. As Mindbox Product Owner Petr Nikitin explained, the team is currently working on integrating purchase data with SMS messaging. If the customer has not performed any other actions with the company between these interactions, the purchase will be recorded as a result of the email. This will allow for a more accurate assessment of the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and improve customer engagement.

Various analytical methods and tools exist. These tools help collect, process, and analyze data, enabling informed decision-making. These include both software solutions and online services that offer a wide range of functions for monitoring and analyzing key performance indicators. Effective use of such tools allows you to optimize business processes and increase competitiveness in the market.

• UTM tags. Links in messages are marked with unique tags: sales with some, information about a new collection with others. Then, the number of clicks on links with these tags is compared to determine which message generated more traffic and sales. You can read more about how UTM tags work here.
• Different phone numbers for different advertising channels, promotions, or segments. After sending, the number of calls to them is compared and the conversion rate is calculated.
• Dedicated landing pages for different communication channels, including SMS. This way, you can also evaluate how many people came from email, how many from SMS, and what target actions they performed.
• Links with parameters. Instead of tags, you can substitute random parameters in page addresses: for example, create a link like site.ru/?n=0 and set up an automatic redirect from it to the landing page. Then you can track the number of website visitors coming from an SMS mailing list using a link with a parameter.

Analyzing marketing activities is impossible without a link or phone number in the message. In this case, you can only evaluate the overall effectiveness of the promotions and strategies. For accurate analysis and understanding of the results, it is necessary to use clear contact information, which will allow you to evaluate the results in more detail and make the necessary adjustments to the marketing strategy.

How to write texts for SMS mailings and what else you need to know about them

The SendPulse and Unisender blogs provide recommendations for creating texts for SMS mailings. Similar advice can be found in other bulk mailing services. We analyzed these sources and highlighted the key points that will help make your SMS mailings more effective.

Write briefly. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, short texts are easier for readers to digest, which helps them absorb information better. Secondly, brevity allows them to focus on key points, avoiding unnecessary information that can be distracting. Optimizing text for search engines also requires brevity, as search algorithms prefer content that quickly provides the necessary answers. Brevity helps improve search engine rankings and increases the chances of attracting an audience.

• SMS have a limit: one message can contain up to 70 characters in Cyrillic or up to 160 in Latin. Petr Nikitin, Product Owner of the Mindbox marketing automation platform, warns: 71 characters in Cyrillic are already charged as two SMS messages, which will also double the price.
• When the user receives the message, they may be busy. Kirill Bekker, founder of the web studio of the same name, explains: "The text in the message should be short and informative, and most importantly, catchy from the first second. Otherwise, the person will simply swipe the notification and not even open the message."

Most email marketing services recommend keeping the text short and engaging. It's important to highlight key information in the first two lines to engage the recipient and adhere to established length restrictions. This increases the chances that your message will be read and perceived.

Personalization is a key element of successful communications. Addressing recipients by name and including personalized information, such as the expiration date of a discount, significantly increases conversion. Research by Mindbox confirms that personalized messages are more effective. For example, in the Alba case, the conversion rate was 1.1%, while regular SMS without personalization reached only 0.6%. Using personalized approaches not only increases response but also helps build customer loyalty.

Call to action. Effective newsletters often use a time limit, offering short-term discounts. Mikhail Ivanov, Director of the ivanovpro marketing agency, notes that their SMS offer is valid for 5-7 days. Some services do not specify a time frame, but everyone agrees that it is important to include contact information. This can be a link to a website or a phone number so recipients can easily contact you. Proper formatting and clear calls to action will help increase the response to your offers.

Write clearly and correctly. Avoid transliteration, as it allows for more information to be included, but makes the text harder to read. Avoid using all-caps text, as this can be perceived as shouting. Try to limit the number of abbreviations and acronyms, as they can complicate comprehension. Petr Nikitin, Product Owner of the Mindbox marketing automation platform, emphasizes the need for careful use of emoji: "When sending a newsletter, we can't predict which device the message will be received on. It might be an older model that doesn't support emoji and displays them as a square." This is important to consider to ensure the correct transmission of information and improve audience engagement.

Creating high-quality message text is of great importance, but choosing the right time to send it is equally important. Opinions on the best time to deliver messages vary depending on the niche, but everyone agrees that sending messages at night can irritate the audience. Many email marketing services offer time zone-awareness, allowing you to schedule sending for 1:00 PM local time, ensuring your message is delivered at a convenient time, even if the recipient is in a different time zone. Choosing the right time will help increase open rates and engagement with your content.

Segmenting your subscriber base is a key aspect of successful marketing campaigns. It allows you to send targeted and relevant offers, significantly increasing conversions and reducing costs. A case study by Mindbox and Kari illustrates this: by segmenting and excluding inactive users from email campaigns, they were able to save 15-19% of their budget without reducing conversion rates. Kirill Bekker, founder of a web studio, emphasizes the importance of careful audience segmentation in SMS campaigns, arguing that without it, marketing efforts can be ineffective. Effective segmentation not only optimizes costs but also helps increase customer engagement and improve the overall results of marketing campaigns.

Petr Nikitin, Product Owner of the Mindbox marketing automation platform, emphasizes the importance of a smart approach to SMS messaging. He recommends avoiding frequent, intrusive messages to recipients. Each SMS sent should provide real value to the user. For example, regular discounts, such as 10% off diapers, don't require a separate SMS campaign, while significant offers, such as a 30% off Black Friday sale, are entirely worth considering and can be sent via SMS. A proper customer communication strategy helps avoid irritation and improve the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.

The expert clarifies that the channel's high efficiency is due to its specific features: deliverability and open rates reach nearly 100%. However, it's worth noting that the cost of sending emails remains significant.

Mikhail Ivanov, Director of the ivanovpro marketing agency, claims that the optimal frequency for email sending is once a month. More frequent mailings can lead to higher customer acquisition costs, which negatively impacts the overall effectiveness of marketing campaigns. The right frequency helps maintain audience interest and avoid information fatigue.

What is important to know to work with SMS mailings legally

Sending messages to a customer database without their consent is illegal. Using someone else's phone number database for mailings is also illegal. SMS mailings are considered advertising and are subject to the provisions of the Federal Law "On Advertising." It is important to understand how this law works and what requirements it places on marketers. For more detailed information on the rules and nuances of SMS mailings, please consult relevant sources. Compliance with the law will help avoid fines and negative consequences for your business.

To comply with legal requirements, you must follow certain recommendations. First of all, it is important to understand the current rules and regulations applicable to your field of activity. Regularly update your knowledge of legislative initiatives and legal changes. You should also develop and implement internal procedures to ensure compliance. It is important to maintain documentation, recording all actions and decisions, so that in the event of an audit, you can provide the necessary evidence of compliance. Don't forget about the need to train employees so they are aware of legal requirements and can comply with them. Following these simple recommendations will help avoid legal consequences and ensure the smooth functioning of your business.

• Obtain consent from all subscribers to receive advertising - for example, offer a checkbox when registering on the site;
• Obtain consent from all subscribers to the processing of their personal data - this can also be done via a checkbox;
• Notify Roskomnadzor that you will be processing personal data and prepare documents: a privacy policy, a non-disclosure agreement, and others.

For more detailed information on the correct processing of personal data, you can review the materials provided. This will help you better understand the basic principles and rules for working with such data, which is especially important in the context of modern data protection requirements.

Violation of the law can entail fines of up to 500,000 rubles for each illegal message. Examples of such cases have already been recorded: in 2016, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) imposed a fine of 1 million rubles on MegaFon for sending messages without user consent. Compliance with consumer protection and information privacy laws is becoming critical for businesses to avoid financial losses and maintain their reputation.

Let's summarize

SMS mailings are an effective tool for increasing sales, sending personalized offers, and collecting feedback. Companies often use them as a multi-tasking channel, allowing them to simultaneously accomplish several tasks. For example, SMS mailings can first notify customers about current promotions, and then inform them about a change in the store's address. This approach helps maintain contact with customers and increases their engagement.

Bulk mailings can be sent through an operator, but this approach limits the capabilities of analytics and user base segmentation. A more effective solution is to use specialized mailing services that offer advanced tools for audience analysis and segmentation. These services allow you to better understand user behavior, tailor content to their interests, and improve the effectiveness of communication.

The standard volume of data on the effectiveness of SMS mailings includes information on the number of sent, delivered, and rejected messages. Many services offer additional features, such as tracking the use of promotional codes and collecting data on users who clicked on shortened links. UTM tags, redirect links, or spoofed phone numbers are usually used for conversion analysis. These tools allow you to more accurately evaluate the effectiveness of SMS campaigns and optimize marketing strategies.

Texts for SMS mailings should be brief, calm, and personalized, with a clear call to action. It's important to segment your subscriber base to ensure your messages are relevant and effective for each group. It's also important to consider sending time to avoid recipient irritation and maximize the effectiveness of your email campaigns. Well-crafted messages can improve customer engagement and increase response to offers.

Before sending messages, you must obtain subscriber consent to the processing of their personal data and the receipt of promotional materials. This can be accomplished using a checkbox during user registration on the website. This approach not only complies with legal requirements but also helps build trust with customers.

Learn more about customer engagement at Skillbox Media. We offer valuable materials and resources to help you improve your customer service skills. Explore our articles, guides, and case studies to discover effective methods and strategies. Understanding customer needs and building relationships with them are key to success in any industry. Join us and develop your customer communication skills for better results.

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